Writing in the New York Times, journalist and author Tina Rosenberg wonders whether President Trump will grasp the solid reasoning behind widespread opposition to mass incarceration that bridges vast ideological divides. She writes, “In an era of what seems like unprecedented polarization and rancor, this idea has bipartisan support. The Koch brothers and Black Lives Matter agree. The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union Foundation agree. Bernie Sanders and Newt Gingrich agree.”
She continues, “Even all this agreement is no guarantee of progress in Washington. President Trump’s policies on crime are whatever slogans get the crowd roaring.” She says declining crime rates have made reform politically possible. “Conservative leadership in states like Texas gives everybody cover,” she writes. “And Americans support criminal justice reform by large majorities.” Now they need to convince the White House.